There’s enormous talent on this campus. That’s a fact. From freshmen beginners to Grammy–awarded artists, there’s an endless stream of the performing arts for all to see. Here’s what not to miss this upcoming month:
MUSIC
Jordi Savall
Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. at the Annenberg Center
The Grammy Award–winning music interpreter is debuting his music in Philadelphia at the Annenberg Center. Working with the Penn Slavery Project, Savall’s music is an exploration of the community formed by enslaved peoples. Interspersed by historical texts and readings from Martin Luther King Jr., the show is the intersection of folk, religious, and secular music, coming to life with musicians hailing from the corners of Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela.
Tickets on sale here.
Penn Sirens: Marshmelodies
Nov. 2, 7:00 p.m.; Nov. 3, 2:00 p.m. at Houston Hall, Class of ‘49
The all–female a capella group is back with some toasty music. Covering songs from Amy Winehouse to George Harrison, Sirens is bringing their talent that once graced the White House, to Houston Hall.
Tickets on sale on Locust.
Off the Beat: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
Nov. 2, 9:00 p.m.; Nov. 3, 6:30 p.m. at Iron Gate Theater
What better way to follow Penn Sirens than with a show from Penn’s only rock and pop a capella group? With an EP on the way, OTB is giving everyone a taste of what they’re like live with songs from the likes of Gnarls Barkley and Panic! at the Disco (which, let’s face it, we’ve all loved at some point).
Tickets on sale here.
Penn Sori: Sori Network
Nov. 2, 9:00 p.m.; Nov. 3, 6:00 p.m. at the Annenberg Center
A mix of skits and music, Penn Sori’s show this upcoming weekend is reflective of everything the Korean–American a capella group does: they sing, they act, and they’re funny. With songs from Sam Smith and Maroon 5 to Red Velvet and Mamamoo, Korean groups, they’re bringing their cultural identities to the stage.
Tickets on sale through any Penn Sori member.
THEATER
The Front Row Theater Company: Yellow Face
Nov. 2, 6:00 p.m.; Nov. 3, 2:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m. at the Annenberg Center
There's nothing like a good show with a problematic phenomenon in its title. Drawing from a memoir by David Henry Hwang in his protest against the use of “Yellow Face,” the theater group is performing a show at once serious and hilarious, following the Asian wave swept by films such as Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Tickets on sale here.
Stimulus Children’s Theater: The Prince and the Wooglefoof
Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 10, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.
Color is gone in this show. It’s all black and white. But in this performance of a family musical adapted from Anderson’s The Prince’s New Pet, the Stimulus Children’s Theater is bringing color back. Whether it will happen or not—that’s for the audience to find out.
Tickets on sale here.
Penn Singers Light Opera Company: The Addams Family
Nov. 15, 6:00 p.m.; Nov. 16, 9:00 p.m.; Nov. 17, 2:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m. at the Annenberg Center
Yeah, we have a musical theater company that performs opera. With their opera shows in the spring, this fall, they’re remaking the beloved The Addams Family in the form of a musical. It’s the classic with a musical, comedic twist.
Tickets on sale here.
Potted Potter
Nov. 20–25 at the Annenberg Center
If you haven’t read the Harry Potter series, did you even have a childhood? Lucky for you, this show is condensing all seven books into just over an hour in a parody. With so many other Harry Potter–related events happening this fall, this one is a can’t miss.
Tickets on sale here.
DANCE
The Inspiration + Onda Latina: Diaspora Through the Decades: Finding Our Way Home
Nov. 2, 6:00 p.m.; Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m. at the Iron Gate Theater
It’s the combination of all time: the Inspiration, Penn’s own a capella group celebrating the Diaspora, and Onda Latina, Penn’s premier Latin dance troupe, are joining forces to celebrate the Diaspora. Through song and dance, the show will give glimpses of Afro–Latinx history up to where it is today.
Tickets on sale on Locust.
Penn Glee Club + Penn Dance: Recalculating
Nov.8, 8 p.m.; Nov. 9, 8 p.m.; Nov. 10, 8 p.m. at the Iron Gate Theater
In its always–awaited annual collaboration, Penn Glee and Penn Dance are joining together this year for music, comedy sketches, and dance. Through two of the biggest groups on campus, the talent they bring on stage is a combination of the best of the best.
Ticket sale information can be found here.
Jessica Lang Dance
Nov. 30, 8 p.m.; Dec. 1, 2 p.m.; Dec. 1, 8 p.m.
Described as “a master of visual composition” by Dance Magazine, Lang is premiering her work in Philadelphia at the Annenberg. As a contemporary dancer, she transforms the classical ballet style to one accessible to all. This year, the program includes the world premiere of us/we, an excerpt from Aria, and a new show This Thing Called Love, celebrating Tony Bennett.
Tickets on sale here.
